‘Unbelievable technique’: Tony Docherty says he’d never seen a player like Celtic star released by Ange

Celtic supporters will never forget the Ange Postecoglou era.

It didn’t take Postecoglou long to establish himself after being brought in from J-League team Yokohama F. Marinos.

It is important to keep in mind that Celtic was in a bit of a mess; they weren’t champions for the first time in a long time, and they had off-field problems.

The Bhoys were playing some of the finest football fans have seen in a long time, though, when Postecoglou worked his magic.

For good reason, the manager and his new Japanese stars, among many others, were presenting prizes and making headlines for their own amusement.

But the release of Leigh Griffiths may have been a forgotten moment during Postecoglou’s tenure at Celtic.

Tony Docherty discusses Leigh Griffiths.

Griffiths won the trophies and scored goals for Celtic, but it seems like he could have done much more.

Undoubtedly, as his contract was about to expire in 2022, Postecoglou decided to let him leave because the last part of his tenure at Parkhead simply faded away.

Tony Docherty, however, saw him up close while wearing Scotland’s colours and said he had never seen a player like the left-footed goal scorer.

The Dundee boss told PLZ Soccer that he was astounded by the striker’s “unbelievable technique.”

“My experience with Scotland was that Leigh Griffiths hit the ball in a different way than everyone else,” Docherty remarked. He struck the ball with his left foot with an incredible skill.

He used to leave after training, I recall. He would remain outside with Craig Gordon, and they would simply engage in free-kicking. After my experience in Scotland, I found myself thinking, “Pfff, that’s different from what I have seen at a club level.”

Numbers from Griffiths’ Celtic career

Griffiths played 22 games for his nation on the international scene and scored four goals, but you feel that his abilities could have been recognised more.

He is currently 34 years old, playing for Mandurah City in Australia, and he likely reflects on what may have been.

However, with more than 100 goals to his credit, according to Transfermarkt, there were still memorable moments from his time at Celtic.